Steering-gear for vehicles.



Patented Apr. l6, I90l. E. H. COWABT.

S' I EERING GEAR F'OR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.; (No'Modal.\

lv/IIIIIIIIIL I YIIIIIIIIIIA I ma ma 2 P i 5 M M 772mm 76.

mwmzw ms uumus PETERS w. HQTQLITMQ, WASHINGTON, v c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS H. OOWART, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEERING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 672,075, dated April 16, 1901.

Application filed April 5, 1900! Serial No. 11,771. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIAS H. OoWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Y provements in steering-gear for vehicles; and

it has for its objects, among others, to provide an improved construction in which provision is made for the unisonous pivotal play of both forward and rear axles without the employment of the usually-positioned pivoted cross-reaches. v

In deriving the above prime results, and with the additional aim of preserving the steadiness of the vehicle, I have provided novel details, whose objects and advantages will appear in the matter hereinafter set forth.

The objects of my invention I am enabled to accomplish by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of the running-gear of an ordinaryfarm-wagon with the bed and bolsters removed in order to show the relative arrangement of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top view of the main portion of my invention. Fig. 3 is a section on the line ma; of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 2.

I will now explain in detail the construction and operation of my invention, reference being had to the above views by numerals.

Th'e running-gear of the wagon consists, essentially, of the four wheels 1, of equal diameters, mounted on the forward and rear axles 2 and 3, respectively.

Secured centrally to the forward axle 2 and reaching backward therefrom to within a short distance of a point midway between the two axles is the forward coupling-pole or reach 4, while similarly positioned to the rear axle 3 and braced thereto by means of the rear hounds 5 is the hind reach 6. Now in order to pivotally connect the abutting ends of the reaches 4 and 6 and at the same time permit of the forward and rear axles swinging in unison in opposite directions I have constructed the mechanism shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Protruding outward from the upper and lower surfaces of the free ends of the forward and hind reaches 4 and 6 and securely bolted thereto are the plates 7 and 8, respectively, the former overlapping the latter. Passing through a perforation in these plates 7 and through longitudinal slots 9 in the plates 8 is the pin 10, while held in place by the pin 10 and interposed between the plates 7 is the member 11, which is formed with the upper and lower guides 12, adapted to engage with the slots 9.

It will be readily seen from the description so far gone into that by swinging the pole 13 in either direction the forward axle and wheels will be thrown in a like manner, and consequently the rear axle and Wheels in the opposite direction, the latter being the result of the connection between the forward and hind reaches just described. Now as this swinging action takes place there must be some allowance made for the increased distance taken on the line of the reaches, and this I provide for by means of the slots 9, which permit of the desired longitudinal play between the plates 8 and member 11.

It will be quite evident that in the usual motion of the wagon straight ahead if I did not provide some means for keeping the forward and rear reaches 4 and 6 rigidly in a straight line every irregularity in the road would cause the hind axle to jerk from side to side and produce a very unsteady motion of the vehicle. Now in order to prevent the unsteady motion just referred to I have provided the latches l4 and 15, which engage with notches 17 on opposite sides of the member 11 and are held therein by means of the springs. 18. In order to disengage these springs 18 as the pole is turned, I have positioned the pins 19 on the forward hounds 20. It is manifest that as the pole is turned in either direction either one or the other of the pins 19 will throw the latch 14 or 15 out of engagement with the notch 17, thereby allowing the member to turn freely into either the position shown in dotted lines or that shown in broken lines in Fig. 1.

Of course the load on the hind bolster and axle cannot be made dependent on the jointed reaches to draw, and consequently I have provided the rod 21, which joins the forward and hind king-bolts 22 and 23. This rod I have made adjustable by means of the turnbuckle 24, while in order not to cover up in the drawings the other mechanism of my invention I have broken oif the central portion of the rod, as shown in Fig. 1.

The construction and arrangement of the several parts of myinvention being thus made known, the operation and advantages of the same will, it is thought, be readily understood.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the forward and rear axles of a vehicle, an independent reach secured to each of said axles, said reaches being joined together by means of a longitudinally-playing connection, and means for lock- ELIAS I-I. OOWART.

Vitnesses:

MARTIN ARONSOHN, ELlz. KINCAID. 

